


sparks fly

by peachyseven



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: EXO EXplOration concert, EXplOration tour, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, I'm making this up as I go, M/M, OC's an SM staff member, OC's interactions with exo behind the scenes, Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Sweet Park Chanyeol, Top Byun Baekhyun, maybe smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:22:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21708172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peachyseven/pseuds/peachyseven
Summary: "The official details will be emailed to you in a couple of days but I wanted to let you know beforehand, in case you had any other prior arrangements-”“Oh no, no! I’d been feeling way too lax since the past few days so this is a pretty good opportunity!”Dongsuk laughed before continuing, “Most of the stage-plan has already been finalized by Shim Jaewon himself but as the new Chief LD, there will be some items that we’ll need your input on. We’ll be discussing all of that and some last minute details in a production meeting set for the day after tomorrow so I’ll see you there, alright?”I’d only partially been listening to Dongsuk after he’d name-dropped Shim Jaewon like that. Because well everyone at SM Ent. knows who he is! And if I’m gonna be working on one of his stages, that means-“Wait, I’d heard that they’d be going on tour soon but… Am I seriously gonna be working on some of EXO’s concerts?” The last part of that came out a little high-pitched and squeaky.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Original Female Character(s), EXO Ensemble/Original Character(s), Kim Jongdae | Chen/Kim Minseok | Xiumin, Kim Junmyeon | Suho/Oh Sehun
Comments: 6
Kudos: 51





	1. Intro

**Author's Note:**

> This had been stuck in my head for a while now so I'm laying it out into words as best as I can. Your comments/ opinions/ ideas/ criticisms/ recommendations are always appreciated.

[currently the beginning of July] 

____

_It’s so boring. ___

______ _ _

“Being on vacation is so boring. Ugh,” I think out loud as I brush my teeth and glare at myself in the mirror.

______ _ _

It’s been a week since my team and I finished up with NCT 127’s second Asian leg of their “NEO City – The Origin” concert tour. We’d been in Bangkok for a week, at most. The stage crew and staff arrived in the city a couple days earlier than the artists and their management team.

______ _ _

It was a lovely experience, to be honest. I’ve had quite a bunch of lovely experiences ever since I started working at SM Entertainment since earlier this year. So far, I’ve only worked with NCT 127 and at a couple of TVXQ’s concerts, all within Asia though. 

______ _ _

I suppose that works out for the best since I myself am of Asian descent; I pick up on the languages fairly quick. I did get pretty burned out after the consecutive three-day concerts in Bangkok, not as much as the boys though. They worked super hard and all of us couldn’t be more proud of seeing our collective efforts culminate into such intense performances on stage. 

______ _ _

The stage crew and my team had thrown me a surprise early birthday party after we’d finished packing up all the equipment the day of the last concert. They’d gotten me this really cute Pikachu cake that said “Happy Birthday, Chief Sparky!” and we’d all gone out to dinner afterwards even though we were beat. I’d been so touched because I was a relatively new addition among all these other people that had known each other for a while now and yet, they made me feel so welcome. Some of us went ahead to a local bar while most of us went back to the hotel to catch some sleep for our morning flight back to Seoul. 

______ _ _

I rinse my mouth and put my toothbrush away before picking up a violet hair tie and a matching hairbrush. Brandon, the American light board operator on my team, had gifted it to me that night in Bangkok amidst drunken hoots and catcalls from the rest of my shitty friends.

______ _ _

I’m inadvertently pulled out from those memories by my cell phone shrieking an ungodly tone.

______ _ _

“Goddamn it, I really should change that shitty ringtone,” I mutter as I make my way over to the tiny living room area in my apartment. 

______ _ _

“안녕하세요 _(Good morning!) _”__

________ _ _ _ _

“Ah, good morning! How are you, sir?” I answer Kim Dongsuk, one of the production managers under SM Entertainment and also someone who’s been supervising me since I signed my contract with them.

________ _ _ _ _

“Good, good! I wanted to let you know about a new project we’ll be working on together. One of our crew members had to take an extended leave so you’ll be replacing them. The official details will be emailed to you in a couple of days but I wanted to let you know beforehand, in case you had any other prior arrangements-”

________ _ _ _ _

“Oh no, no! I’d been feeling way too lax since the past few days so this is a pretty good opportunity!”

________ _ _ _ _

Dongsuk laughed before continuing, “Most of the stage-plan has already been finalized by Shim Jaewon himself but as the new Chief LD, there will be some items that we’ll need your input on. We’ll be discussing all of that and some last minute details in a production meeting set for the day after tomorrow so I’ll see you there, alright?”

________ _ _ _ _

I’d only partially been listening to Dongsuk after he’d name-dropped Shim Jaewon like that. Because well everyone at SM Ent. knows who he is! And if I’m gonna be working on one of his stages, that means-

________ _ _ _ _

“Wait, I’d heard that they’d be going on tour soon but… Am I seriously gonna be working on some of EXO’s concerts?” The last part of that came out a little high-pitched and squeaky.

________ _ _ _ _

Dongsuk laughed again, a kind of fatherly booming laugh that reminded me of my own dad.

________ _ _ _ _

“Perceptive, as always. Yes, the official details will be sent to you pretty soon so you’ll be updated way before the meeting. Good luck,” he said.

________ _ _ _ _

After he’d hung up, I immediately dialed Kyung Mi, my best friend ever since I’d moved to Seoul. We’d bonded over our mutual dislike for 9am classes in university and our love for a cup of coffee from the café right across the street before said classes began. She’d also been an avid follower of a number of kpop groups and had always tried to drag me to Incheon International Airport to try to catch a glimpse of one of them on numerous occasions. I had humored her once or twice but never made a habit out of it.

________ _ _ _ _

“What’s up? Still bored to death?” she says as soon as she picks up.

________ _ _ _ _

“You won’t believe who the _fuck _I’ll be seeing on my next project!” I exclaim because despite my limited knowledge even I’m a tad excited.__

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Fuck. I knew this day would come, I fucking knew that non-fans always have a higher chance of meeting idols like this through _fate _or some other bullshit-” she starts ranting before I interrupt her.__

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Please, don’t freak out.”

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I hear a sharp inhale and then I assume Kyung Mi sits down before she asks, “One of my SM top 3?”

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I giggle, “Try top _number one _, bitch!”__

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I laugh and roll around on my bed as Kyung Mi screams and curses up a storm. God, this is gonna be fun.

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	2. Chapter 2

The meeting went on for over four hours straight but I got to meet my Associate Lighting Designer, Yuna who presented 3D renderings of the entire lighting design in my stead that day. I was also introduced to the two ALDs that would be working directly with me, Michael and Junsu. They looked to be of the same age as me, though way too formal perhaps because we were in a professional setting then.

Even though some staff members might have been changed depending on the location of the concerts in the past, the core stage management crew that had been handling EXO’s concerts for the past few years was right there in front of me. And _that_ was a very nerve-wracking fact in and of itself. I could clearly see the amount of dedication with which they worked behind the scenes to have an artist’s performance come to life. It seemed like everyone there was very close to each other, Yuna told me it was so because they’d all worked together on EXO’s past tours too.

Despite my initial apprehensions, I tried to portray my ideas as best as I could whenever I was asked about my opinion. Something that we’d discussed for quite a while was Suho’s performance stage for one of EXO’s songs called _Been Through_. I pitched in a couple of my proposals for the set-up and we’d almost finalized the entire plan but because of the time-constraint we’d decided to conclude everything in a secondary meeting to be held a couple of days later. 

I’d already familiarized myself with the light plots and the entire stage plan a few days ago when I’d received the official documents. The set list for the six days that EXO would perform at KSPO Dome had been finalized ages ago but listening to a part of EXO’s discography over the past few days had been…a fascinating experience for me, personally. I’d already added most of the songs to my Spotify playlist and Kyung Mi had spammed my inbox with links to so many of EXO’s music videos and live stages that I’d been overwhelmed for a second.

Suffice to say, I refused to watch them until I got a chance to actually meet the boys (fingers crossed, it usually takes a while for the artists to be free enough to even properly introduce themselves to the newer staff what with their constant practices and schedules) though I wouldn’t hold it against them if they were too busy to say hi to a newbie like me. They lead very hard lives and I’m no stranger to the challenges that they face every single day.

“So you’ll be going to the venue today?” Kyung Mi asked as she lounged around on my bed while I tried to tidy up everything on my desk. She’d come over yesterday after I’d returned from my second meeting, as excited as a little puppy and demanded to know everything that had happened. But I couldn’t tell her everything, obviously. It was confidential, after all. 

“Yes, we’ve got a few days of tech rehearsals. I want to see how the designs come to life, they said the electrics crew would’ve been done with the installments by the time we get there,” I reply quietly. I always tend to get quiet when I’m nervous about something…even though it’d be clear as day on my face.

“…will EXO be there?” Kyung Mi hesitantly asks. I sigh because I don’t know whether I should answer her truthfully or not. It’s not as if I don’t trust her but…saying it out loud would make the reality of the upcoming events, even more absolute. And I’d like to pretend that I’m on my way to a small theatre instead of a stadium with a capacity of 15,000 people for a few more hours, if I can.

But we ain’t no pussy, inner me states. And I giggle before responding, “They’ll show up around 2pm, I guess. We’ll do the pre-cueing with a team of light walkers until they arrive- _Oh my God, are you crying?!_ ”

“You’re gonna see _EXO!_ ” she yells at me as she suddenly stands up, “I’ve been a fan for three fucking years and I’ve never gotten a chance to see them up close- okay, except that one time when I saw Nini at the airport but you get a chance to work with them for God knows how long and you’re not even a _fucking fa-_ ”

I rush over to her and grab her hand before cutting in, “But I _am_ a fan-!”

She gasps so loud, it’s almost comical but it does the job of shutting her up and I make us both sit down on my bed before continuing, “Kyung Mi…I _am_ a fan of them and I _know_ that you love them so much more than I do and that this probably seems unfair to you but… I’m not going to be there as a fan, I’ll be working and I’ll need to give it my hundred percent so that their hard work is portrayed properly. I- Seeing you be this affected by all of this, I- I don’t know what to say to make you feel better but…I don’t want you to be hurt over this either…”

My head feels like mess and I’m almost afraid to look up to see Kyung Mi after I’d said all of that to her. I get it. I know where she’s coming from but how could I have known that this would happen? Why do I have to explain myself? _Who the fuck is Nini?_

She pulls her hand out of my grasp and my heart drops. But she only wipes her eyes and tucks a strand of her long black hair behind her ear before hugging me and apologizing.

“I shouldn’t have snapped at you, I’m so _so_ sorry… I got way too emotional,” she murmurs into my shoulder and I pat her back in return. 

“It’s alright, don’t worry about it.”

.

 _Fuck_. Despite having already been to KSPO Dome before, it still seemed so… intimidating. Especially right now when it’s completely empty save for the maintenance staff and the entire stage crew running around and trying to get things in order.

I take a deep breath and put my headset back on before asking the light board operator to replay a certain sequence again. I’d already asked Michael to relay a few adjustments to the master electrician and they’d just finished up with the task.

Yuna had been super helpful throughout the entire process, she’d immediately caught on with the way I work and had been by my side ever since I arrived here. I’d found out that she lives near my neighborhood and we’d already planned on hanging out in a more casual environment after the first concert.

“You’ll be pretty shocked by the end of it,” she laughs as she looks at the monitor in front of us.

“Hmm, what makes you say that?” I ask with my eyes still on the stage. I call out for one of the light walkers to pause so we can refine another sequence. We’re in the middle of one of our last ‘note’ calls before the artists arrive so any leftover changes should be made right away. Junsu’s already on stage; he ran focus as soon as our tech rehearsal started and he’s been aiding the spotlight operator by tracking and coordinating the followspots. It seems like he’s done this before, despite him being so young.

“This is your first taste of an EXO concert after all,” is all she says. I look at her with a puzzled look and ask her to elaborate.

“Their fans have stuck by them through thick and thin, you’ll see for yourself how laid-back the boys are with them. They’ll do some very questionable shit on stage too,” she says through a laugh before looking right at me.

“They love each other. You’ll see it in the way the boys will perform and the way that their fans will cheer,” she says. I only nod and smile back in response. _But isn’t that how every fan-artist relationship is_ , I wonder to myself.

_What makes these guys so special…?_

.

It had been an exhausting ordeal but we managed to complete our tech rehearsals in time. The stage manager had congratulated us all on a job well done and we’d headed backstage for a light lunch. EXO had… they’d arrived a while ago and we were scheduled to begin a second rehearsal with them performing on stage. The full dress rehearsals would be scheduled for tomorrow if everything went according to plan.

Yuna had introduced me to almost every member of the crew by now. She was what they called a ‘social butterfly’. I’d barely managed to pick up a sandwich before I was shaking hands with the sound designer, the set designer, the costume designer who had just arrived and even the choreographer. I got to say a quick bunch of hellos to their respective teams as well, though it seemed like some of them still considered me an outsider since I was well, new.

The designated break room was bustling with activity; the teams were sat together around a table engaged in comfortable banter, the backup dancers were warming up and exchanging pleasantries with the staff and some people were definitely gossiping, huddled together in a corner of the room.

Junsu and Michael were sitting with me, giving me the insider info about every crew member.

“Hera and Hanbin are _definitely_ fucking,” Junsu states very matter-of-factly. Michael nods sagely. I almost choke on my latte.

“ _What_?”

“Saw ’em making out in one of the backrooms a while ago, looked like it would’ve escalated further if I hadn’t barged in, _noona_ ,” Junsu continues. He pushes up his adorably round glasses on the bridge of his nose before he looks at me. I’d found out that he was the _maknae_ around here and that he’s super mischievous-

A loud howl of _“annyeonghaseyo!”_ followed by equally loud ‘hellos’ and weirdly drawn out greetings, surprises me out of my thoughts. I look around but everyone in the break room is either getting up or shaking their heads with laughter.

“They’re here!” Junsu whisper-yells at me.

I see a mop of bright orange hair in my peripheral vision and turn towards it only to find a bunch of _very handsome guys_ standing in the doorway, dressed in casual workout clothes, some with a takeaway cup of Americano in their hands.

They greet everyone in the room with a bow and joke around with the dancers. _Everyone seems so close_ , I wonder with awe.

“Baekhyun- _hyung_! Nice hair!” Junsu suddenly yells from where he’s standing up next to me now. _Baekhyun_ with the orange hair looks at him with these mirthful eyes and he’s about to say something but then he looks over at me and-

My breath hitches and I look away immediately. Fuck. _What the FUCK was that?_

Baekhyun… says something to Junsu that I’m too out of it to pay attention to and I hear laughter in return and then another deeper voice speaks up.

“Yah! I was gonna get my hair dyed orange first but he beat me to it!” 

The room erupts with a chorus of everyone telling this _tall, broad_ guy with _silver_ hair and a fucking _undercut_ that he looks hot the way he is now. I agree.  
More friendly banter follows before the guys- before _EXO_ leave and go off towards their waiting room. I let out a breath that I didn’t know I’d been holding in.

“Chanyeol really does look hot with the undercut, oh my God-”

“Did you look at how amazing Jongdae’s skin looked? Gotta ask him about his skincare routine or something-”

“Kai- _oppa_ is unreal, I swear-”

“Where were Sehun and Junmyeon- _hyung_ though? Have they not arrived yet?”

The only thing that was going through my mind right then was how Kyung Mi had told me that only six members would be partaking in this tour, how two of them had enlisted recently, how one of them was promoting separately in China and how one look from Baekhyun had caught me so off-guard that I’d felt…I can’t quite put it into words but I’d felt…. _exposed_. 

I got up to go find Yuna before our break ended so we could discuss some stuff on the way to the tech booth before the rehearsal began. I passed by EXO’s room and I could swear I heard Baekhyun either yelling again or practicing his vocals. I sped up a little but caught myself thinking that I wouldn’t mind him looking at me like that again…

.


	3. Chapter 3

_“Baby girl_  
아침을 설레게 하는 모닝콜 _(Your morning call makes me flutter)…”_

They’re so good. They’re _so darn good_. What the heck am I even listening to right now?!  
I bite the inside of my cheek so I don’t curse out loud and think back to-

…

_“Hello! It’s very nice to finally meet you; sorry we’ve been a little preoccupied since we got here. Dongsuk-hyung--”_

_I quickly interject with a bow and a greeting of my own before introducing myself. He follows suit with a friendly smile._

_“My name is Kim Junmyeon but you can call me Suho, I’m the leader of EXO. I’m glad you could join us on this tour, thank you for your hard work!”_

_I clutch the strap of my satchel as my heart skips a beat. I’d thought they’d be more…haughty? Kind of…entitled? Understandably so, but still- I didn’t expect anyone of them to be so approachable._

_“I’m very happy to be working with everyone here,” I reply quickly with a smile. Something about Suho put me at ease, perhaps it was the genuinely kind vibe that he gave off._

_We talked a bit more as we walked off towards the stage together. The rest of the members were already there, warming up. I said a quick hello to everyone, without meeting any of their eyes and then walked over to one of the two control booths where my crew as well as the sound crew were already settling in, preparing to begin the rehearsal._

…

“주윌 둘러봐 _(look around) Lovely_  
틈 없이 좁혀진 거리 _(there’s nothing separating us)_  
너에게 맞춰진 _(it’s fixed on you, this) Heartbeat_  
하고 싶은 대로 _(do as you want) Teach me-_ ”

And then there’s him. Every time he sings, I unconsciously replay the way he glanced at me back then and- No, no, no. _Focus_. 

“Never gonna get over how amazing they sound live,” I hear Junsu murmur through the headset that I have on. If before it wasn’t obvious how big of an EXO fan boy he is, it sure as heck was clear to me now. 

“Junsu, stop gushing over them and concentrate on what you’re supposed to be doing,” Yuna retorts.

“Okay, damn. No need to be so snappy, noona.”

This whole opening set was supposed to be flashy, dynamic and full of energy. Which meant everyone in the control booths was on the lookout for even the tiniest technical miscalculation. The more refined the stage looked, the better EXO looked. It was as simple as that.

And yet; it unnerved me to see them fall into step with each other so easily, to belt out those notes with a practiced ease that spoke volumes about their experience, to playfully smack each other in the middle of their dances, to hype each other up during the rap parts- I was so flustered and on-edge that I forgot about the lighting, I forgot about the designs laid out in front of me. I couldn’t help but watch, _mesmerized_ , as the rest of them sat down right there on the main stage and Baekhyun moved on to the frontal stage where I knew he’d be performing a solo song next. 

The setup for this stage was to reflect a sexy blend of violet and pink hues, like the ones that the lightsticks would be programmed to display. But the performance, with its very deliberate dance moves, Baekhyun’s enticing voice doing nothing short of vocal acrobatics and the languidly seductive persona that he adopted as soon as he gripped the mic stand, was not what I had expected. At _fucking_ all.

By the time we finally took a break, I think I was low-key pissed. At myself, at the predicament I was in or at the feelings that I was suddenly being forced to acknowledge; I don’t know what it was but with a muttered excuse, I took off my headset and got up to go backstage. A little distance to put things into perspective if it were, since the objects of my steadily increasing emotional turmoil were currently doing back flips on the centre stage.

“Be back in ten,” I told Yuna before I left.

It was mildly chaotic backstage, as it was to be expected. I made my way over to the staff restrooms and slipped inside. After splashing my face with some cold water, I could finally feel some of the heat start to dissipate. I went back outside after drying up but I remained backstage near a quieter section where all the equipment transport boxes were piled up, albeit a bit messily. I leaned against a sturdy-looking one and took out my phone.

I didn’t come across anything particularly of interest and since the thought had been nagging me for a while now, I looked up the song Baekhyun had performed. A quick peruse later, I’d downloaded the “City Lights – EP” and added it to my Spotify playlist too. I was skimming through the song descriptions when I heard a low chuckle right behind me before-

“Wow, I guess that means you liked my performance after all~”

I turned around so fast, I probably gave myself whiplash but I wish I hadn’t done so the very next instant as I looked up at those eyes, sparkling with mirth and mischief altogether.

“You scared me,” I whispered. 

“Ah, sorry about that. I was just wondering what you were doing standing here in a corner all alone,” Baekhyun said as he looked to the side and brought a hand up to rub the back of his neck. He was wearing a bucket hat again, just like he’d been during the group stages.

“I- Um… I really did like your performance,” I blurted out before I could even think about saying it or not.

He laughed and thanked me and _my God_ , suddenly it was one of my favorite sounds in the world- I knew what was happening, I wasn’t blind to the fact that someone like him would be _so easy_ to fall for. And that he’d obviously navigated through many such encounters before. This wasn’t anything special. 

There was this pause where neither of us said anything but I took the time to glance at him quickly. A tuft of his bright orange hair was visible from underneath the hat and I had the strangest impulse to run my fingers through it. 

“So, um- why orange?” I ask pointing to his hair. He was taller than me, I knew that but I only just noticed how broad his shoulders were too. He had the softest-looking skin, his lips were cherry-red but his t-shirt looked filled out and his jeans were- Everything about him was a _contradiction_ that I was ridiculously and helplessly enamored by.

“Meh. No particular reason, I guess. It’s bright and-” he tries to gesticulate the reason with his hands while we start walking back to the stage. The blood rushing through my veins makes me oddly _daring_ in that moment and I step in front of him and walk backwards trying to catch his eye.

“But it’s so _orange_ ,” I say, still walking backwards with my hands held behind me. I stop slowly and Baekhyun comes to a halt in front of me, though I can tell that he’s amused by the slight quirk of his lips. I tilt my head a little and nod towards his hat.

“May I?” 

He’s grinning now. And it makes me giddy just thinking about the fact that I’ve managed to put a _smile on his face_ , no pun intended.

He leans his head down and I reach up to take his hat off. Before I can pull my hands back, he’s held onto my right hand and-

_Oh. His hair’s so soft._

I can feel the heat bloom across my cheeks as he looks up at me with my hand still in his hair. He’s _cheeky_. He knows exactly what he’s doing- I bet he’s the type of guy that flirts with his fans, teases them and makes them baby him despite it all. 

“Okay, orange isn’t too bad I guess.”

He laughs and lets go of my wrist before rising to his full height again. His ears are tinted a faint red and he’s rubbing the back of his neck again. _Not used to this, then?_ Its endearing and I suddenly have the urge to do something highly unprofessional right now. 

But I won’t. I can’t ruin this. We’ve only just met after all, and… I’m here to _work_. He’s an idol, for God’s sake.

I chance a glance at him when we start walking again. And he’s _singing_ under his breath and I can’t make out the words but he has his hat back on too and he’s looking off to the other side-

Suddenly, my phone’s shrieking that God awful ringtone that I hate and Baekhyun snaps his eyes over to me, probably taken aback by the loud jazzy notes emanating from my phone. I know I’ve been caught looking at him but I hurriedly take my phone out of my jeans and a cursory glance tells me that it’s a call from Brandon.

“Hello? Hi, Brandon- How are you?” I answer in English. I can see Baekhyun slow down his pace to match mine in my peripheral vision. Part of me wants him to go on ahead because I have a feeling I know what this call’s about…

“…today? Um… I’ll probably get off around 5, maybe? Oh, you sure you’re okay with picking me up from here?” I know I’m unintentionally speaking faster than I normally would but I can’t help it. Baekhyun’s looking straight ahead, we’re almost near the stage but there’s a chance that he may be listening in...

Making plans for a date while you’re literally next to one of the hottest people you’ve ever met, seems…weird. I finish up the call and look up at Baekhyun as we slow down to a stop.

“Your English is very good,” he begins with a smile. I’m about to thank him when he continues.

“ 혹시 _(perhaps)_... your boyfriend?” he finishes in English with a wiggle of his eyebrows and I can feel my throat dry up instantly with the way he said ‘your boyfriend’.

“N-no! Just- someone I’m dating right now, ugh! Stop _smiling_ like that!” I stammer out, feeling my face heat up again. 

“What the-” he raises his hands up as if to placate me and starts laughing before stepping away and moving to the stage. He’s still laughing as he turns around and walks backwards, like I did a while ago, saying _annyeong_ with a little wave. I hear Chanyeol asking him what happened but Baekhyun just shakes his head and says something that I can’t quite make out.

.

I didn’t run into any more surprising encounters with the boys after that. The rehearsal was a success and we were officially scheduled for dress rehearsals the next day. Everyone was packing up and getting ready to go home. I stopped by the bathroom to freshen up a bit and texted Brandon that I’d be finishing up soon. 

“How do I look?” I asked Yuna after putting on some light make-up and brushing through my short brunette hair.

“Like someone’s taking you out for dinner tonight,” Yuna replied while tucking my hair behind my ear on one side. I laughed because that sounded about right. I’d worn a pair of comfortable black jeans, a sleeveless black turtleneck and a plaid shirt over it this morning because I thought I’d be moving around quite a bit. 

“Wait, you’re not wearing any piercings. Hold on,” Yuna said as she began to rummage in her bag.

“Oh yeah, I didn’t put any on today,” I said touching my ear. I only had two piercings done, one in each ear.

Yuna handed me a pair of glittering black studs that she helped me put on as she interrogated me about who I was going out with. I didn’t mind telling her at all, we seemed to be getting along pretty well.

“So, it’s not serious but you like him enough to go out with him again?” she asked as we left the bathroom together.

“I mean, we’ve been going out for almost a month now so…” I reply as I text Brandon what exit gate to pick me up from.

“Hmm. Well, let me know how it goes when you get back home. That is… _if_ you don’t stay over at his place-,” Yuna says teasingly but I quickly interrupt that line of thought.

“Hush, that won’t be happening today-”

Suffice to say, Yuna is a pervert and she pesters me all the way to the exit about my sexual exploits and I try to answer as best as I can _if only_ to get it over with. I walk with her to her car and she hugs me goodbye before getting in.

The company vans are all parked close by the exits and there’s a bit of a crowd gathered there with everyone getting ready to go home. I see Brandon waiting next to his bike to a side and I walk over to him, bowing to the senior staff and the managers on my way there. I chance a glance at one of the vans and I think I see _Sehun_ , maybe? He was the one wearing the _Izro_ hat, right?

Before I can look closely at who else is in the van with him, I’ve made my way over to Brandon and he pulls me into a hug which I happily return. I put on the helmet that he holds out for me and get on the bike behind him, trying not to look back at the vans as we ride past them.

Dinner is a lovely affair but Brandon tells me that he’d be going back home to the States soon, probably for a couple of months. I tell him I’d miss him and he kisses me outside my apartment. I say I’m too tired tonight when his hand moves past my waist, but I tell him to stay in touch when we hug goodbye. It almost seems like a natural end to our brief relationship and I think neither of us is thick enough to pretend otherwise.

It takes quite an effort to wash up and change but I finally manage to get under the covers. The last thing I remember is drifting off to sleep listening to a certain someone, singing about _whispering love_ and _rolling hills_ and broken street lights.

.


End file.
